Manufacture of lavatory-basins, &amp;c., made of earthenware.



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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED JOHNSON, "0F WESEL, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed October 16, 1906. Serial No. 283,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED JOHNSON, a sub'ect of the King of GreatBritain and Ired, and a resident of the town of Wesel, Germany, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Manufactureof Lavatory-Basins and the Like Made of Earthenware, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates chiefly to the manufacture of sanitary and likeoods made of earthenware, and particularly avatory-bowls andcloset-basins.

, At present goods'of this kind are formed by hand on a single plastermold, the potter building up the ware out of lastic clay, which is laidon the mold until the desired thickness and shape of ware is attained.

. The object of this invention is to eflect the formation of the warebya process of casting, and thus permitof the employment .of unskilledlabor, as well as cheapen and improve the manufacture.

According to the invention I use the ordinary mixture of clay, flint,and stone, &c. but instead of using it in a plastic state I use it in aliquid or fluid state, and for that purpose add to it a solution ofsoda, (sodium caronate,) water-glass, and water. I also use two moldswhere necessary, one for the interior and the other for the exterior ofthe object'to be-cast, and leave a space betwen the molds correspondingto the form and thick-- ness of the intended object.

When using two molds at one or more points I provide them withair-vents, and one of such molds I also provide with a gate or inlet.Throughsuch inlet I introduce the liquid clay until the s ace betweenthe molds is full. 'I then a ow the clay to stand until it sets hard,after which the molds are removed and the ware prepared for the usualfiring, glazing, or other and subsequent operations in the usual way.

The following proportions of the soda, wa-

ter-glass, and water to the clay have been found to serve, viz: two tonsof clay, five and three-fourths pounds of soda, five and onehalf poundsofwater-glass, forty-four gallons of water. These proportions may varywith the character of the clay, but those given have been. found to workwell when the clay is made of a mixture of ball-clay, china-clay, flint,(or quartz,) stone, (or feldspar.)

The clay is by preference assed through the usual sieves and pressedefore the solution is added. a After leaving the presses it is placed ina vessel and the solution then added to and mixed with it.

While chiefly for sanitary ware, the invention may be adaptedfor use inthe casting of other articles of earthenware, the molds being made tosuit. 1 Y

The special feature of the invention is the use of the soda andwater-glass in combinati on, the soda causing the clay mixture to become fluid and the water-glass causing the mixture after being cast toset hard, no matter how thin or thick the section of the ware. By addingmore soda the clay becomes more fluid, and by adding more water-glassthe roportions before.

clay sets quicker. The named give the best res ts for the mixture ofclay described.

What I claim is 1. Soda (sodium carbonate) and waterglass in combinationwith clay as used for making sanitary earthenware, the soda, water-glassand clay being in or about the proportions indicated for the purposesset forth.

'2. Soda (sodium carbonate) and waterglass in combination for use inenabling clay to be cast in molds as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses;

v ALFRED J OHNSON. Witnesses: AUeUs'r FINES, HEINRICH HnmeEmAHL.

